“Fete Foraine” is a photograph taken by André Kertész. “Fete Foraine”, which means “Carnival” in English, was taken in Paris in 1931. I was especially drawn to this photograph because it depicts an acrobat performing a spectacular feat. The image captures an acrobat doing a handstand while balancing on a stack of chairs. There is a real sense of awe in this photograph as there are dozens of spectators gazing at the peculiar sight. It is evident that Kertész took this photo with certain compositional elements in mind. The balancing acrobat is keenly placed and follows the rule of thirds. There is a tree that lies parallel to the performer and his stack of chairs. The performer’s head is also framed by a metal beam behind him. The slanting overpass provides a stark contrast of black and white color. There is also a single spectator on the overpass. This is also visually pleasing because his dark figure stands out on the white background of sky.
On snapshot day, I will be sure to implement the rule of thirds in my photograph. Placing points of interest on third lines will help make my image more visually striking. I will also try to make heavy use of lines and diagonals while taking the photo because it will create a better image. As Professor Grimaldi noted, diagonals guide viewers’ eyes across the image and will help the composition of my photograph.
I specifically chose Andre Kertesz’ “Montmartre” (1927) to contrast with the photo that Alvin chose in his post above. “Montmartre” differs from “Fete Forraine” in many ways, although both utilize the rule of thirds to create a more powerful photograph. There is much more light in “Montmartre” than there is in “Fete Forraine”; whereas the majority of the latter photo is dark, the former photo is well lit except for a few light shadows cast by the trees on the sides. This creates a very different feel, but not how you would normally think it would. I would usually associate brighter photographs with brighter moods, but in this case, the isolation of the subject of “Montmartre” gives it a much more melancholy feel. In contrast, the subject of “Fete Forraine” is the center of attention and the large crowd of people watching emits a vibrant yet tense mood, similar to the mood of the crowd as they watched the acrobat in action. The use of diagonals and lines are also different for each photo. In “Fete Forraine”, there aren’t as many visible lines except for the tree that is parallel to the ladder and the body of the acrobat and the overpass that serves as the ‘stage’. Like Alvin says, the overpass frames the photo in a way that draws the viewer’s eyes to the performer. “Montmartre”, on the other hand, utilizes more lines. The steps, the railings, the fence, and even the lamposts all lead your eye toward the man sitting at the bottom of the steps. Kertesz uses lines to really capture and focus your attention on the focal point of his photographs. Both “Fete Forraine” and “Montmartre” follow the rule of thirds. In the former photograph, the acrobat falls just about a third into the left side of the picture. In the latter, the man does the same, but only on the right side of the picture.
In order for a photo to have good composition, several different elements must be put together such as light, position of subject (following the rule of thirds), and lines. As someone who likes to take pictures, it is interesting and quite difficult to have to think about these elements as I take my photographs. But now that I know the rules and guidelines for taking good pictures, I will surely use them when I take a photo on Snapshot Day and in the future.
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/K/kertesz/kertesz_montmartre_full.html